LIMERICK
He was Italian
and even owned a stallion
He frequented the House of Bernaducci
where the guests wore clothes from Gucci.
That was, of course, before he joined the battalion.
He was a brave man, fearless and bold
there never was a thought that he would get old
He weathered the war then to his home went back
Sadly he suffered a heart attack
simply because his stallion had been sold.
His wife, she was a strange one
never smiled at him till her work was done
She cooked, she cleaned, she stewed
“I work too hard,” was her attitude
She could not loosen up, for she didn’t know how to have fun.
Then one day the Italian and his wife were together
the wife decided to cut her husband’s tether
She wanted to treat him better
told him this without writing a letter
and kissed him, lightly as a feather.
Now that I’m dying, I have to make sure I have a good guardian picked out for the kids in case something happens to my husband after I’m gone. Of all things to be worried about as I’m dying, I wish it wasn’t necessary to do such careful planning.  I was supposed to have a very long life, especially since I was so healthy before the cancer. Well, I guess it goes to show that eating right and exercising don’t always keep disease away.
It’s been a good life, Lord, but way too short.  Now I will never get to see Ryan graduate from college and Katie getting married and having grandchildren for me to spoil. I hate this dying thing! Why didn’t you choose someone else’s life to end early? The ones who want to die and are so desperate that they take their own lives. If you let me live, God, I can live their life for them – really – just trust me, I want to do this – everybody near me wants me to stay with them too.  You’re so big and powerful, certainly you could work this miracle for me?
I’m scared, Lord, because I’m needing so many naps lately. Then after I have visitors, I can ‘t even remember who was here. Please let them know I didn’t want to be forgetful like this. Everything around me is like a hazy gauze that floats around me. Maybe it is angel wings?
If I got cancer as a punishment for something, isn’t it enough that I got cancer? I mean, couldn’t you leave it at that and not demand my death, too? I’m scared that I will go into a coma and never come out.   I don’t know what waits for me on the other side.  I hope I can go to heaven, but only you know where I will end up.
Please keep me going until it is time to die, God. I mean, take me off my painkillers so that I can fully interact with my loved ones at my bedside. Help me to remember the things I need to say to everyone before I pass away.
Will you please take care of my husband and children for me? And when our pets die, could you send them on right along to me? I would be so glad to see them.
I put myself into your hands, because I don’t know what else to do. Please either make me better or speed up my death, because the not knowing is killing me.
I.
The Sunshine Factor 